


Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by dirtyretro



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Christmas Party, Drunken Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2018-09-11 12:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8980321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dirtyretro/pseuds/dirtyretro
Summary: At a Christmas party, Hyungwon's spiked cider has a tendency to bring couples together.Now translated into Russian by Ghost000! Read here.





	1. Cider of Romance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [runkairun](https://archiveofourown.org/users/runkairun/gifts).



Every year, Hoseok hosted a Christmas party for his closest friends. Since he had the largest apartment out of everyone (he split the rent with Hyunwoo because affording such a nice apartment came with an expensive price tag), the party was always at his and Hyunwoo’s apartment. It was custom to get drunk and play games after unwrapping gifts; it was also custom to make out under the mistletoe after one too many cups of Hyungwon’s famous spiked apple cider.

 

**Flashback to the Christmas Eve 2014 Party...**

_From the kitchen, Hyungwon called out to Hoseok, "Hey, hyung! Could you come and taste this to see if it's okay?"_

_In a large punch bowl, Hyungwon had concocted a spiked cider with fresh apple juice, a stick of cinnamon, and precisely one handle of Fireball. It was his ‘contribution’ to Minhyuk’s fabulous baked goods. When he offered his hyung a sip, Hoseok pulled a sour face and withdrew from the cider like an offended cat._

_“Is it bad?” Hyungwon asked, still holding the ladle of cider in front of Hoseok._

_Hoseok crammed a gingerbread cookie Minhyuk baked into his mouth to get rid of the overwhelming assault of alcohol. “Did you use the whole bottle?”_

_Hyungwon nodded impishly._

_“_ Why? _”_

 _“Why_ not _?”_

_“Just… just put it out, I guess…” Hoseok said as he eyed the bowl of cider with obvious skepticism, “Keep it away from Kihyunnie. You know how he gets when he drinks...”_

_A few drinks later, that was how Kihyun and Hyunwoo got together. After that, Hyungwon dubbed himself a matchmaker and vowed to always supply the party with his wondrous Cider of Romance._

_Nobody protested because they secretly hoped it truly was some sort of love potion, even if it did taste like straight up poison._

 

**The present...**

Each year was more extravagant than the last - partly because Hoseok was a total geek for Christmas and partly because he found himself wanting to impress the guy he’d been crushing on.

Hyungwon, his dork of a friend, was the object of his desires and the man he made cartoonish heart eyes at. He realized it two Christmas parties back when Hyungwon asked him to try the spiked cider. Hoseok had known the man for _years_ , yet never registered his feelings until an incredibly innocent, incredibly normal moment in his tiny kitchen.

Hoseok hadn’t done anything too wild before, but this year was different - this year, he dug out the giant box of Christmas decorations and embellished the entire apartment like a Christmas-crazed demon. He sent Hyunwoo to retrieve a tree - the finest, bushiest, most fragrant tree - and with Kihyun’s yay or nay (whether his opinion was asked for or not), they brought it back and adorned it with shiny ornaments, tinsel, and silver bells.

Hoseok wanted everything to be green, red, and gold - a classic Christmas with classic colors to match the blanket of snow glistening just outside the apartment walls. Fresh pine and cinnamon spiced the cool air. Every Christmas song he ever heard personified in a 756 square foot space.

This party was going to be the best yet. And maybe with the help of Hyungwon’s so-called Cider of Romance, maybe it’d be the most unforgettable too.

As Hoseok and Hyunwoo decked the halls, Jingle Bell Rock played on the music speakers for the tenth time in succession.

“Hey, this song’s been on repeat for _forever_ ,” Kihyun drawled as he jabbed his boyfriend, Hyunwoo, in the thigh with his big toe. “Change it!”

Hyunwoo tossed a glance over his shoulder at Kihyun, who was lounging on the couch with his feet up and his head propped up by the crook of his elbow. Christmas decorations - tinsel, ornaments, and strings of lights - pooled around him like a miniature moat. He hadn’t done a thing to help decorate, but he sure had a lot to comment about.

Kihyun tilted his head, causing the white ball of his Santa hat to droop to the side. “Well? I wanna hear Santa Baby!” He quirked a brow and nipped his lower lip playfully to tease his PDA-shy boyfriend. Pink tinged Hyunwoo’s cheeks.

“I don’t know how you put up with him,” Hoseok commented as he balanced on one leg to hang up an extra large ornament Jooheon made for him years ago. Truth be told, he didn’t care about Kihyun’s teasing or Hyunwoo’s bashfulness - this was their dynamic and it was what made them so fun to be around - but Hoseok was having difficulty swallowing his pangs of jealousy. He didn’t mean to be like this, but it was taking every last drop of his self-control to not project the bitterness of being single for yet another holiday.

Just once, he wanted to spend Christmas with a significant other. He wanted to spend Christmas drowning in the depths of Hyungwon’s eyes.

Turning around to look at Kihyun, Hoseok asked, “Pass me the mistletoe?”

Kihyun plucked the mistletoe from amidst the pile of other decorations. “Remember this, jagi?” he quizzed, tone challenging yet seductive, as he dangled the mistletoe over his mouth like a stem of grapes. With his lips slightly parted, he locked eyes with Hyunwoo and teased him some more. “Oh look, I’m beneath it again…”

“ _Yahh!_ Get a room!” Hoseok whined as he attempted to snatch the mistletoe from Kihyun. The pink haired boy dodged out of the way, committed to his teasing by adapting to the new scenario: damsel in distress.

“Aigoo! Kiss me, my love, before they take me away from you!” Kihyun cried out dramatically, face crinkled into feigned anguish. Hyunwoo chuckled despite himself and caved into Kihyun’s desperate antics. He bent at the waist to meet Kihyun’s lips with his own; it was soft and gentle, a cute peck of adoration, the type of chaste kiss couples give each other during their busy day to remind each other that they love them. One turned into two, three, four...

“Can we not pervert the mistletoe?” Hoseok deadpanned, rousing the couple from their fifth kiss.

Hyunwoo straightened up his posture, face pink with shyness, and swiped the mistletoe from an unassuming Kihyun. Pouting from the couch as Hyunwoo delivered the mistletoe, Kihyun retorted, “It’s mistletoe, hyung, it’s inherently perverted.”

“I just want to hang it up so everything can be done!” Hoseok countered as he searched for a place to hang up the mistletoe. Holly and ribbons embellished every corner, so there really wasn’t an ideal place to hang the bundle of leaves. He could hang it outside on the porch - that would be romantic, right?

Sensing Hoseok’s tension, Hyunwoo clasped a reassuring hand on the other’s shoulder. “Everything looks great already, Hoseokkie. Why don’t you relax?”

As always, Hyunwoo’s words were kind and well-thought. They made Hoseok feel just a little less stressed.

“Yeah. Hyungwon is gonna love it, hyung,” Kihyun laughed when Hoseok’s eyes widened like saucers. “ _Oh_ , don’t act so surprised. It’s pretty obvious you have a thing for him.”

Hoseok switched his gaze to Hyunwoo, who nodded and shrugged. _Oh God!_ Hoseok’s heart pounded in his chest. Did everyone know? If everyone knew, did Hyungwon know? He sighed and flopped onto the couch beside Kihyun. “Does Hyungwon know?”

Kihyun shrugged, “Probably.” He clapped a hand on Hoseok’s knee, “Just have some cider. That always works.”

Kihyun winked at Hyunwoo, who smirked in response.

“I’m gonna die,” Hoseok groaned into his hands as Jingle Bell Rock still played on loop.

\- + -

Jooheon and Changkyun were the first to arrive. Even being the youngest, Changkyun was by far the most punctual. Jooheon carpooled with him, otherwise he’d be competing with Hyungwon for who’d be the last to arrive. Minhyuk knocked on the door with his elbow when he arrived because his hands were full of saran-wrapped gingerbread cookie platters. When Hyungwon finally arrived, he held Fireball in one hand and toted a jug of cider in the other. Judging by his sloppy grin, he pre-gamed prior to walking through the door.

Hyunwoo’s PDA policies were much less rigid when he drank, so Kihyun capitalized. Tasty, open-mouthed kisses were mixed into the variety of kisses he greeted his boyfriend with periodically throughout the party. The most scandalous kiss of the night, complete with roaming hands and audible panting, happened in the dark crevice of the hallway, tucked away from loud, drunken laughter and flashing Christmas tree lights.

Hoseok was the traveling type of host - the type that made their way to each cluster of guests to chat and offer drinks or snacks. Occasionally, Minhyuk adopted the role of the host when Hoseok imbibed, but tonight Hoseok was looking to make an impression. When he stumbled upon the Changkyun-Jooheon-Minhyuk cluster, he took a seat on the loveseat and jumped into the conversation. Changkyun was never a big drinker, which was fine because that gave everyone else the opportunity to catch up to his unique brand of odd humor. Minhyuk got handsy when he drank. He lassoed an arm around Jooheon’s neck and pulled him in for a temple-to-temple hug, eyes soft and sparkly as the two of them giggled.

Hoseok’s heart fluttered when Hyungwon entered their little bubble. He sat in the open space on the loveseat beside Hoseok, who sipped nervously at the cider in his cup.

“If anyone has to go to the bathroom, I advise waiting for Kihyun to put his tongue back into his mouth,” Hyungwon said in his nonchalant tone before swigging the remainder of cider in his cup. Minhyuk and Jooheon giggled over the various hypotheses of what exactly Hyunwoo and Kihyun were doing right this moment. Apparently, whoever guessed right would win 50 dollars. They sent Changkyun to go check, the poor bastard.

As they awaited the results, Minhyuk perked up abruptly, much like an excited puppy. “Guys! You know who would be cute together?”

“Me and…Seulgi?” Jooheon suggested as he recalled a particularly attractive female friend of his he met at school.

Minhyuk furrowed his brows at Jooheon’s outlandish answer. “No! Hoseok hyung and-”

“Hyungwon!” Jooheon added.

Hoseok’s heart was literally pounding so hard he could feel it in his throat. Hyungwon smirked at Hoseok and carded a hand through his hair. When they made eye contact, Hoseok smiled back because it seemed to be the right thing to do. Clearly, Hyungwon wasn’t processing the moment like he was. It was all fun and games, right? All for laughs with friends under the influence of alcohol.

Changkyun returned to deliver the much-anticipated news, and everyone was eager to see who won the 50 dollars. Changkyun’s words sounded like white noise as spoke, so Hoseok leaned in to better discern the words. His efforts were to no avail anyway, so he began to wonder if it was the alcohol muddling his auditory response or if his throbbing heart was truly as deafening as expected. Jooheon shot up from the couch with two fists pumped into the air in victory as Minhyuk swallowed his loss. Jooheon was apparently 50 bucks richer.

Hoseok felt a hand on his leg. Hyungwon’s hand. The very touch set his nerves alight. Eyes wide like a doe, Hoseok glanced at Hyungwon.

“Um, do you wanna go somewhere else?” Hyungwon said the statement like a business proposal, all stiff and awkward but with intent. The corner of his lips twitched into an awkward, comforting grin.

God, he was too cute. Hoseok was too lame. This whole situation was too much.  
  
Hoseok played it cool. “Yeah. We could go out on the porch?” The porch with the mistletoe and the glistening snow and the string of lights and the requirement of bodily warmth and therefore implied bodily contact. Yeah, the porch was a good call.

Outside, blankets of snow on the ground may’ve been persevering, but the snowflakes in the air melted the second they touched skin. Melted into teensy pools of liquid on the skin, much like the way Hoseok melted at the way Hyungwon’s thigh touched his own as they huddled together on the cramped porch bench. For being in such a cold environment, Hoseok was burning up.

They discussed life like friends would do: school, money, work, relationships, family. Puffs of steam accompanied their words when they spoke. Passing time was only evident in the build up of snowflakes on the wooden railings. In a break of conversation, Hyungwon leaned back, eyes gravitating to the bundle of leaves and berries dangling from the ceiling corner.

“ _Hey-_ ”

Nervous, Hoseok cut Hyungwon off. “Yeah?”

Hyungwon shot Hoseok a peripheral glance. “There’s mistletoe here?” There was a lilt to his tone, something suggestive but innocent. It was very much in his character to call out these awkward situations, and Hoseok cursed himself for having hung up the mistletoe at all.

“Yeah, you kno-”

Hyungwon kissed him. He threaded a hand through Hoseok’s hair, and he kissed him. The sudden warmth on his cold lips was exhilarating, and the lingering spice of cider on his lips warmed Hoseok to his very core. Firm, persistent, gentle all at once was the kiss - and when their lips parted, Hyungwon relinquished the control Hoseok happily accepted. There was passion but it wasn’t urgent or even sexual; it was the type of passion that accumulated over years and years of repressed feelings towards one another.

Puffs of steam, then words. “Hyung, I’m sorry. I-”

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do that?”

Again they kissed, but this time Hoseok initiated it. Slow, deliberate.

Hyungwon was taken aback. “ _Waited?_ ”

“Yeah.”

Their lips met again. Languid, delicious.

“Waited?” Hyungwon reiterated, astonished, “ _You_ were waiting? _I_ was waiting!”

Hoseok laughed. “I guess we both waited.”

“We’re both idiots.”

“Well, do you maybe wanna go on a date with this idiot?” Hoseok inquired shyly.

Hyungwon smiled his beautiful smile. “I’d really like that.”

Inside, Changkyun hopped on Jooheon’s back piggyback style as Minhyuk hollered in amusement. They must’ve persuaded Changkyun to drink. They should’ve never left Changkyun alone with his drunken hyungs and therefore improper surveillance.

  
“We probably should return to the party…”


	2. Catalyst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kihyun's and Hyunwoo's backstory, as requested by [miss_apple2016](http://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_apple2016/pseuds/miss_apple2016).

Kihyun first met Hyunwoo at a fraternity party back in freshman year of college. Unsurprisingly, Kihyun had too much to drink and got handsy, and, unsurprisingly, Hyunwoo only had one drink and was being hit on constantly all night. Kihyun knew he was flirty, good at it too based on his one night stand record, but Hyunwoo was one target he never succeeded at bedding. 

Hyunwoo showed up to more and more of the same parties Kihyun was invited to. Each time, Kihyun would drunkenly approach the elder and shamelessly flirt with him. Sometimes he thought he had finally snagged Hyunwoo, other times he failed miserably. Over time, it became apparent that they shared the same circle of friends; as the years flew by, the circle dwindled to just seven.

Though Kihyun constantly hit on Hyunwoo, they developed more than just a flirty acquaintanceship. Their friendship was real - they played video games, played sports, and talked shit just like friends did. But Kihyun always felt more than just friendship, and, interestingly, he eventually understood his incessant flirting to be deeper than just wanting to have sex with Hyunwoo. Upon this realization, Kihyun suddenly felt very guarded about his emotions.

He still flirted at parties, though. Tonight at Hoseok’s and Hyunwoo’s annual Christmas party was no exception. Kihyun drank, as expected, and was handsy towards everyone, as expected. He chatted with Jooheon and Changkyun in the kitchen for fifteen minutes. That’s when he noticed a giant punch bowl of pungent, cinnamon liquid. On the side of the bowl was a torn-off piece of paper that read  _ ‘Hyungwon’s Cider of Romance’ _ in horrible handwriting. Shrugging, Kihyun poured some into his cup and sipped distractedly at it as he spoke with his friends.

There was something legitimate to Hyungwon’s so-called Cider of Romance, Kihyun noted. It wasn’t just some spiked cider that reeked of alcohol and eroded the lining of his esophagus on the way down, no. It oozed into each crevice of his body and animated each limb with a renewed sense of vigor, of desire. It was almost as if he drank a love potion with the way his body was set ablaze; skin hot and sensitive to the touch, pupils blown wide, breath ragged, heart thumping.

Kihyun wondered if this was what it was like to be struck by Cupid’s arrow.

In the rose-tinted blur of his vision, he saw Hyunwoo. The elder was leaning against the wall with a beer bottle in hand as he conversed with Hoseok and Minhyuk. As per usual, Hyunwoo was wearing a shirt with cutoff sleeves to showcase his the muscles of his arms. Though Kihyun often squeezed Hyunwoo’s muscles in a playful manner along with Changkyun, he’d never actually admit how aroused it made him feel. Even though Changkyun often teasingly bit at Hyunwoo’s arms, Kihyun feared he wouldn’t be able to contain himself if he did it too.

Hyungwon’s Cider of Romance must've been a powerful elixir, because before Kihyun could process it he had abandoned Jooheon and Changkyun in the kitchen and was now standing in front of Hyunwoo. His inhibitions diminished, perhaps this alcoholic love potion was the catalyst he needed to finally confess his years-long crush.

“Hyung, I need to talk to you,” Kihyun demanded, and it came out much breathier than he intended, but he couldn’t help it. All he wanted to do was throw himself at Hyunwoo and bury his face in the other’s warmth, but without a proper confession he’d just seem desperate and horny, and that was certainly not cute.

Minhyuk and Hoseok had mirrored expressions of confusion. Kihyun was a confident person no doubt, but both of them were foreign to this new level of confidence. Then Hoseok laughed to himself as he recalled his earlier conversation with Hyungwon in the kitchen about the super potent spiked cider -  _ “Keep it away from Kihyunnie. You know how he gets when he drinks...” _

Hoseok jabbed Minhyuk in the ribs with his elbow, signalling for them to leave Hyunwoo and Kihyun alone. Minhyuk still looked confused, but the look on Hoseok’s face hinted that he’d fill the younger in shortly. They giggled as they left to join the others on the couch in the living room.

After Hoseok and Minhyuk left, Kihyun had to forcibly prevent himself from blatantly and lustily staring at Hyunwoo. The way Hyunwoo furrowed his eyebrows made apparent that he totally misread the vibe. “Is everything okay, Kihyunnie?” Hyunwoo’s voice lifted an octave when he was concerned, which was something Kihyun noticed since freshman year.

Though his heart still thumped rapidly in his chest from the cider, Kihyun managed to extract himself from his Cupid’s haze. Here he was practically aching to pour his heart out to Hyunwoo, the man he’d had a crush on for years, all without realizing how he came across to his loveable-but-dense hyung. Hyunwoo was a worrier even if he didn’t physically show it.

“Oh! No, I-I’m sorry, hyung,” Kihyun answered, “I’m fine. Everything is okay. I’m just…”

“Too drunk?” Hyunwoo thoughtfully offered.

“Probably,” Kihyun muttered the word defeatedly and slumped his shoulders. Was it that obvious he’d been drinking? He sighed despite the moment, looking up at Hyunwoo as he continued, “But, I have to tell you this. I… have liked you since freshman year, and I… could never find the right time or way to tell you how I felt.” He exhaled sharply to alleviate the tension in his body. After a moment’s pause, he swallowed the lump in his throat and continued, “I was just in the kitchen getting something, and I looked over and saw you… And you’re just… you’re always so hot.”

Kihyun wanted to laugh at himself.  _ Hot? _ He couldn’t have chosen a more articulate word? Judging by the shift in Hyunwoo’s demeanor, ‘hot’ seemed to be of sufficient significance to the moment.

The corner of Hyunwoo’s lip curved up on one side. “Is that why you always flirt with me at parties?”

Kihyun blanched. Did he seriously flirt with his hyung at every party? He thought back to every party he remembered ever attending starting with that first fraternity party freshman year. His eyes widened like saucers. “Oh my god…”

“I always liked it,” Hyunwoo admitted, “I just didn’t make a move because I didn’t want to take advantage of you.”

It was official: the horde of butterflies in Kihyun’s stomach had hijacked his entire body. Hyunwoo was too damn respectful; no matter how many times Kihyun wanted Hyunwoo to press him up against the wall with his beautiful, muscular body and kiss him - flirting shamelessly all the while - Hyunwoo, who actually reciprocated Kihyun’s feelings, never acted. What a gentleman. Now, Cupid’s arrow was so deeply lodged in Kihyun’s heart there was no recovery.

“Can I kiss you?” Kihyun whispered. He hoped Hyunwoo would say yes. He needed Hyunwoo to understand that his feelings were so much more than drunken attraction.

Hyunwoo snaked a hand behind Kihyun’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. Kihyun always pictured this moment to be fast and passionate, though his perception could’ve been from the influence of party people and booming EDM. Hyunwoo lead the kiss; just like him, it was calm, strong, fluid, bold, delicious. Their tongues tangoed together - damn, Kihyun knew Hyunwoo was an excellent dancer, he should’ve anticipated him to be an excellent kisser too.

In the heat of the kiss, Kihyun slid his hands up the smooth contours of Hyunwoo’s arms. He squeezed playfully like he’d always done, then wrapped both arms around the elder’s shoulders to pull himself closer. Their chests touched and Kihyun broke the liplock to sigh. Hyunwoo was like a boulder, all strong and firm and large, but there was no hardness to his touches, to his kiss, to his personality. And Kihyun, all slender and supple and svelte, curled into his hyung like a kitten.

Kihyun awoke in Hyunwoo’s bedroom the next day. Hyunwoo wasn’t there but the sound of his voice could be heard in the living room. It wasn’t long before Kihyun realized he was shirtless and his clothes were scattered about the carpet. It also wasn’t long before he realized his body was sore and there were hickies on his neck.

He threw his head back on the pillow and covered his face with his hands, laughing to himself. Years of crushing on someone expedited by spiked cider at a friend’s Christmas party. Miracles truly did happen. 


	3. All I Want for Christmas Is You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunken, not-quite stripteases and awkward, not-as-planned proposals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just two [Christmas prompts](http://lockscr33ns.tumblr.com/post/134964143211/christmas-au-prompts-2) I pulled from Tumblr ♡ See you next Christmas!

Hyungwon’s Cider of Romance struck again… except this time, it struck back against its maker. And Hyunwoo.

This year, Hyungwon decided to mix cinnamon and clove-spiced apple cider with dark rum on the sole principle that Kihyun bought eggnog buy-one-get-one (more like buy-three-get-three) at the grocery store, and apparently everyone enjoyed making poor life decisions. Everyone being Kihyun and Hyungwon, who were both incredibly thrilled at how fantastic their adult holiday concoction tasted. Having killed two cartons of eggnog and three-quarters bottle of dark rum (exact measurement of cider was arbitrary) themselves, the two far exceeded everyone else’s level of intoxication at the party.

Jooheon took it upon himself to DJ the party this year. If Kihyun weren’t so drunk, he most certainly would’ve scorned the DJ’s questionable choice of slipping DMX’s rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer amidst his otherwise classy music queue. To Jooheon’s utter surprise, Kihyun’s state of intoxication welcomed the rapper’s raspy vocal cover with a guffaw. Much to Minyuk’s absolute delight, Kihyun claimed a seat upon the blonde boy’s knee like a queen upon her throne, brandishing his hands like a composer to an orchestra. An orchestra of one, that was, because the orchestra was actually Hyungwon dancing merrily about the living room with his ugly Christmas sweater alight with the colors of the rainbow. Minhyuk tilted his head side-to-side and tapped his fingers on his knee to the music, riveted by the opportunity to be involved in this ludacris scenario.

Hyunwoo wasn’t as jovial as his party guests. In fact, he was very tense and not even three shots of the holiday death potion could tame his anxiousness. When he and Hoseok decorated the Christmas tree prior to the holiday party, Hyunwoo spent twenty minutes fidgeting with the nimble branches trying to balance a tiny, black engagement ring box amongst the shiny ornaments. Throughout the party, he had been occasionally (neurotically) eying it, making sure it stayed put.

Then, of course, _offfff couuurrrseeee,_ Jooheon and Changkyun bumped into the Christmas tree that Hoseok and Hyunwoo (mostly Hoseok) had painstakingly decorated as they danced along with Hyungwon. The engagement ring box Hyunwoo hid in the tree dislodged and fell somewhere into the tree. If he were to look for it, he’d pillage the tree with his giant man hands and _then_ have to awkwardly explain why he was randomly dismembering a Christmas tree in front of party guests. They’d call him the Grinch. He’d never live that down.

Speaking of doing something ridiculous friends would never let die, Hyungwon started swaying his hips a little too erotically to All I Want for Christmas Is You. Hoseok had to witness his boyfriend embarrass himself through the gaps between his fingers as he covered his blushing face with his hands. Erotic swaying snowballed into a glorified striptease as Hyungwon toyed with the hem of his sweater and winked at his boyfriend. Minhyuk repeatedly slapped Kihyun’s arm as a way to channel his embarrassment, hiding his face behind the drunk boy’s shoulder and occasionally peeking from beyond the appendage to watch the comical striptease.

It was indistinguishable whether it was the alcohol or the ceaseless giggling that snagged Hyungwon’s light-up sweater on his head, but nevertheless he persisted through the hiccup with a strange and most definitely _not_ sexy wiggle-dance. A jolly mashup of Christmas classics with modern dubstep from Jooheon’s laptop accompanied Hyungwon’s uncoordinated endeavor. Changkyun encouraged his silly dancing by shouting motivational albeit inappropriate phrases and swigging eggnog and rum, determined to accomplish Hyungwon and Kihyun’s level of inebriation.

“Hyung, you better get your man,” Minhyuk advised as he, too, giggled at the scene. From behind Kihyun’s shoulder, he shot a glance at the hyung of topic, Hoseok, who was sitting beside him on the sofa with his knees bent at his chest and his face hidden. His boyfriend’s performance had rendered him into a flustered, tiny, red-faced ball.  

Despite his secondhand embarrassment, Hoseok smiled. Even though Hyungwon was embarrassing himself in good company, he was still lovely and fun and beautiful. This amusing, spirited behavior was _exactly_ what he loved about his boyfriend: the ability to be carefree and happy to the point of extending that happiness to everyone was a trait Hoseok treasured. When Hyungwon’s battle with his sweater was reminiscent of a honey-coated rummager swatting aimlessly at a swarm of angry bees, Hoseok showed mercy and saved his boyfriend from his self-inflicted (and hilarious) torment.

Except when he did, Hyungwon and his long, blumbly legs staggered backwards until he collided with the Christmas tree, sending sparkly ornaments and fragrant pine needles crashing to the floor; like in a Looney Tunes cartoon, he fell backwards over a pile of wrapped gifts with his legs flung up in the air, landing butt-first in the mess of pine needles and shards of broken ornaments. Minhyuk and Jooheon stifled their laughs, but Kihyun, again, guffawed shamelessly. Hoseok immediately sought his fallen lover, asking if he was okay or if he needed help.

Then Changkyun noticed it: a small black box that was shaken from the tree and hurled across the floor from impact. “What’s that?” he asked aloud, though the question was meant for no one in particular.

But Hyunwoo heard it. In fact, he _saw_ it. The box. His box; Kihyun’s box. Just as Changkyun rose to his feet to fetch the mystery item, Hyunwoo lunged forth and snatched the box in a flurry. He stumbled forth from his own momentum, toppling to the floor beside Hyungwon with the small box clutched in his hands.

“You okay, hyung?” Hoseok asked. Hyungwon erupted into a giggle fit.

“What’s that?” Kihyun inquired with a curious expression on his alcohol-reddened face. He hopped off Minhyuk’s lap (struggled a bit with sticking the landing, but that’s irrelevant) and approached his downed boyfriend. Hyunwoo’s eyes focused on the tip of Kihyun’s accusatory finger pointing directly at him; he blinked a few times to bring the finger into focus, stunned by the sudden invasion before realizing Kihyun was referring to the box in his hands. The box was suspiciously reminiscent of every engagement ring box Kihyun had ever seen on television ever, so his inquiry was reasonably informed, though he opted to ask regardless because… why not?

The feeling of having twelves eyes stare at him at once was nothing particularly new given he was a former student forced to host PowerPoint presentations in class, but Hyunwoo was never fond of such an occasion. Aside from himself, Hoseok was the only other who knew Hyunwoo’s romantic intentions prior to this problematic moment. Hoseok’s attention flickered to Kihyun briefly before reverting to Hyunwoo, hasty in his once-over of the circumstance. The silence caught in everyone’s throats was filled with merry Christmas tunes, and for some reason that confirmed the box’s contents.

“Hyunwoo?” Kihyun muttered as he reached for the black box, but Hyunwoo swiped the box away before his boyfriend’s fingertips could even graze the black velvet exterior. He observed his boyfriend’s nervous gulp and was compelled to reiterate his one-word question.

Before even a breath left Kihyun’s lips, Hyunwoo corrected his placement on the floor, shifting into the traditional, telltale, one-knee position. Minhyuk’s squeal from yonder made Jooheon smile excitedly and elbow-jab the youngest in the ribs. Hyungwon resembled a bush baby with his wide, round eyes; Hoseok looked on like an idyllic cupid. They had the best view of the fairytale scene unfurling a literal small distance from them, which meant Hyunwoo tried his best to swallow his nerves as Hyungwon repeatedly awed.

Hyunwoo cleared his throat. His fingers hesitated opening the box, but he lifted the lid to reveal a gorgeous sterling silver ring with three gemstones, all various shades of sapphire, embedded in the band; it was equal parts masculine and feminine adorned with Kihyun’s favorite gemstone. See? Hyunwoo listened when his boyfriend made pointed suggestions as he flipped through jewelry magazines with his early morning coffee. For good measure, he cleared his throat again, internally cursing himself if his much-practiced marriage proposal came out raspy.

After a deep breath, he said, “Ever since I first saw you, I knew I’d never be the same. You’re beautiful and smart and funny and talented. I, um…,” he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously and laughed, “I planned a speech telling you great you are and why I love you, but… Yoo Kihyun, you know I love you. Would… would you do me the absolute honor of marrying me?”

Kihyun gasped, tears prickling his eyes as his heart swelled with every happy emotion he’d ever felt in his life _—_ warmth, love, delight, peace, comfort, bliss, tenderness, passion . This man, _his_ man, knew exactly what to say. He didn’t need some rehearsed speech; he wanted something from the heart, something genuine and real just like his boyfriend. “Hyunwoo, I—”

“What?” Hyunwoo responded quickly, nervously. God, did he vastly misread the chemistry between them? Was it too soon? It’d been so long since they discussed marriage. Maybe Kihyun wasn’t ready to become a husband? He rose to his feet, desperately clasping Kihyun’s shaky hands in an attempt to soothe the emotion of the moment. He thought about snapping shut the ring box and chucking it out the window, but the tears trickling down Kihyun’s cheeks seized his full attention.

Regardless of the tears, Kihyun giggled loudly as he picked up on his boyfriend’s concern. “Of course I’ll marry you, you dummy~” he said, his laughter escalating when the stress in Hyunwoo’s body lifted like a bad spirit.

Hyunwoo’s smile met Kihyun’s as the fact that Kihyun _agreed_ finally sunk in. They embraced and kissed as Minhyuk and Jooheon lead the drunken spectators in a round of applause. When they withdrew from one another, Hyunwoo plucked the shiny ring from the box and slid it on Kihyun’s left ring finger. He imagined this moment for months as he prepared for the proposal, but imagining the feeling of love and belonging was unthinkable and indescribable. Seeing his betrothed beaming with joy was even better.

Suddenly, Kihyun lifted his left hand in the air to show off his sparkly, new engagement ring to the rest of the party, shouting, “Another round of eggnog and rum, frieeeeendsss~!”


End file.
